


A Second Chance

by xSilentHarmony



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: A lot of odd pairings..., Abuse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, F/M, Verbal Abuse, twqbigbang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2014-06-17
Packaged: 2018-02-05 01:53:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1801120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSilentHarmony/pseuds/xSilentHarmony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A different life. A different time. Two people whose past left them alone now have a chance to make things right. They just have to remember it all and do the right thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My story for the TWQBigBang!
> 
> This story is not written in a linear format. Different chapters happen at different times. When I began writing this, I decided that the best way to get this story across would be to do it this way, and I hope the double storyline isn't confusing.
> 
> Also, when I began writing, I decided to try to follow The White Queen for certain things. I know that the show changed a lot of history, but I felt that following that would just be easier for those who might not know things exactly.
> 
> I want to thank tant-le-desiree for her beautiful artwork for the story (link [HERE](http://tant-le-desiree.tumblr.com/post/87843614500/my-heart-is-beating-in-a-different-way-its-been))! I'd also like to thank scribblesincrayon for beta-ing! Thank you so much for your lovely help!

Shuddering a breath, Anna breathed, “I think I’m falling in love with you, Derek.”

“Then you are not alone,” Derek replied. He leaned forward, arching down as she stepped up to meet his lips. Their lips met and everything felt right. Their arms wrapped around one another, pulling each other impossibly close.

Derek’s skin broke out into little bumps, a chill running through his body as he continued moving his lips against Anna’s. He never wanted this kiss to end, and he hoped Anna felt the same way.

Their lips parted, and the kiss continued with Anna gasping, her hand pulling against his dark, curly mop of locks. Derek groaned and continued.

Though he knew he’d need to breathe soon, Derek didn’t want this to end. He didn’t care about anything else than Anna.

A flash before his eyes, and instead Derek saw himself standing in a garden on a cold, wintry night with a navy blue doublet covering him along with a brown cape. He looked over to see Anna— _Anne_ —running towards him, her hair braided down the middle of her back with a dark green dress she hiked up as she ran in the gardens. She shined the lantern on him and he was pulled back from the memory.

The two broke apart from their kiss, their eyes opening to stare at one another. The memories flashed in Derek’s mind and he blinked rapidly, hoping that everything would settle soon.

He was not Derek Desrosiers. She was not Anna Newell.

Oh, God.

“Do you remember?” he asked. He huffed for breath, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the kiss or from the memories that had just assaulted his brain.

Anna nodded. She stepped back, her eyes widening as much as possible. She shook her head. “It’s not possible. How can this be?”

“God has granted us another chance,” Derek replied. He smiled. “You are Anne Neville. I am Richard Plantagenet. We were meant to be together again to right our wrongs.”

Anne stopped in her spot. She eyed Richard for long second. She swallowed. “I don’t want you.”

“What?” Richard asked. “Don’t be crazy, Anne. This is our chance to be together now. We have a chance at happiness. Don’t you want that?” He thought back to all the times in Middleham when they were little and the night they’d married and all the good they’d had before everything fell apart.

But this was a chance to do it all better. He looked at the leather couch by him and the vase sitting next to it before looking back at Anne. She looked so different, yet so alike with the same facial structure and little freckle on her left cheekbone.

“What if I don’t want you now?” she asked. Her eyes glazed over, tears threatening to fall. Richard so wanted to reach over, grab her, and hold her so close she could never escape.

This was their chance at happiness.

How could she not want this?

Instead, now he stood in shock, his green eyes wide as he stared back. He didn’t know how to respond. His hands shook at his side and he stuttered out a response.

“Bu—but we’re meant to be,” he said. “This is our new chance, Anne.”

“No, it is Anna now. You are Derek. We can’t just throw away everything, especially when it was you who betrayed me in the end,” Anne replied. Tears began falling. “I loved you so much. I was there for you, and you just went after Elizabeth like I was already dead. How could you do that? To me of all people?”

“Anne, please—” Richard reached for her but she jerked away. She smeared her makeup and smiled.

“You have to let me go. Let me go, Richard,” she said. “Everything is better now, don’t you agree?”

Richard said nothing.

After a minute of her staring, though, the room felt smaller. He could barely breathe from how small he felt with her stare. She wanted him to just forget their other life. As if this chance meant nothing. How could he do that to her? To them? He wanted so badly to demand she stay but he just couldn’t. No. She wanted something that wasn’t him—them—and he had to accept this.

As much as it hurt his heart.

He sighed and nodded, his eyes darkening with utter betrayal. He clenched a fist and said, “If that is what you want, then I can only abide, Anne.”

“Anna,” she corrected. She nodded herself and turned to walk out the door. She made it to the door before she stopped. Over her shoulder she said, “Thank you,” in a soft voice. He barely heard her though, so focused was he on the thoughts roving inside.

Everything was wrong. This world, this life, they were wrong.

When she closed the door behind her, Richard looked at the closest thing within grasp and noticed the vase sitting next to the couch. He grasped the blue and white decorated vase and threw it against the wall. The glass shattering sounded poetic to him now as he stared at the cascading shards falling to the floor, making even more sound.

Faintly, Richard could hear himself yelling at the top of his lungs. He thought that the brothers might hear but he didn’t care. They didn’t know who they were and right now Richard hurt so badly. A tear streamed down his face and fell to the ground. His head bent to his chest, his dark locks covering any chance of people seeing him.

The room seemed too bright right now, and Richard shut his eyes to block out everything. It was like watching Anne die all over again, only this time he knew everything, and he couldn’t change any of it.

It was all his fault, and Richard could do nothing to stop it.


	2. Chapter 1

Derek Desrosiers kept to himself. He didn’t bother the other kids at school and they didn’t bother him. Maybe it was because they knew he would be going into the military when he entered college—as much as that pained his mother.

The Desrosiers themselves were well known for their hand in the political game. If a presidential candidate had their backing, they were pretty much guaranteed to win.

He closed the door to his locker and turned to go to class when Izzy Newell wrapped her arm around him. She smiled, her perfectly white teeth a contrast to the terrible lighting of the school. The people in the hallway moved out of their way—if it wasn’t out of fear for Derek then it was probably Izzy’s popularity.

“You coming over tonight?” Izzy asked.

“Would you like that?” Derek asked. He looked down at her. He didn’t feel the same about her as others thought. People said they were this perfect couple but Derek wasn’t sure. He kept telling himself it was probably because Izzy used him to cover the fact that she really loved his brother, Adam, but it had to be something else.

“It wouldn’t be so bad,” Izzy said. She flipped her short, dark locks from her face and settled her face into a determined smirk. She glared at those daring to look at them as they passed.

Maybe it was also the fact that Izzy used him to secure her position as queen of this school.

“When should I be over there?” he asked. He looked at the people moving beside them, his green eyes wandering over each person as they either avoided looking at them or sighed in irritation at the two.

“A little after five. Mother’s making dinner for once, so once she screws that up we’ll want to escape for a little alone time,” Izzy replied. She smirked and winked before skipping off to class. He could see her faintly wave in a direction but only because he kept watching her. He looked down the hallway she’d waved in and noticed who she had waved to.

Anna Newell was Izzy’s little sister, and probably hated more than feared by the rest of the students. She’d begun dating Jackson Lancaster and immediately dyed her beautiful brunette hair to the darkest black she could and begun wearing black around her eyes, as if looking like a raccoon would somehow make her more desirable to Jackson Lancaster.

Smiling halfheartedly, Derek continued on without waving. He didn’t know what to make of Anna. He so wanted to tell her to stop this charade with Douchebag Lancaster but another part of him knew telling her this would make her wonder why her sister’s boyfriend was getting into her business.

That was a conversation he did not need with her.

 

The noise from the television filled the otherwise silent room as Izzy and Derek watched whatever show Izzy had chosen. Derek’s eyes kept drifting shut involuntarily but he always jerked himself awake as soon as his head touched the back of the couch. The living room was quaint; a single coffee table sat in front of the chair with the television a few feet in front of them.

“Why are you joining the military?” Izzy asked.

“Since when did you care what I did?” Derek asked. He sipped the water she’d gotten him earlier before sitting it back. He looked over at her.

“Because you’re my boyfriend, of course I care,” Izzy said.

“I’m essentially your beard, Izzy. You use me as a cover for you to stare at my brother. I’m honestly surprised you asked me over here,” Derek replied.

Sighing, Izzy shifted away from her seat next to him, her arms crossed over her chest. She shook her head and chuckled under her breath. “You know, Derek, you are a piece of work. It seems you forget you use me just as much as I use you.”

“And how’s that?” Derek asked. He looked over at Izzy, taking in her icy gray-blue eyes and her raised eyebrow.

“You know you just want my sister,” Izzy said. “It’s plain as day.”

“I do not,” Derek said. He crossed his arms and scoffed. “Besides, she’s dating Jackson.”

“Yeah, because you won’t give her the time of day,” Izzy said. She stood up from the couch, her arms waving as she said, “Maybe you should leave.”

“Maybe I should.”

Derek stood up and walked out the door, not even sparing alook back at his supposed girlfriend. Though he supposed they probably were broken up now.

He got in his sleek black car and drove the half hour to his house. He slipped inside the mansion and made it to his room—decorated surprisingly lightly—before collapsing on the bed. He thought over what Izzy had said.

He didn’t like Anna.

Anna was like two years younger than him and dating that douchebag Goth.

He rolled his eyes at the thought of Jackson Lancaster. Jackson was the epitome of his enemy (and not because he had Anna). Jackson was the entitled selfish brat that walked through the halls at school as if he owned the whole place. When someone tried to prove that he was nothing more than some Mommy’s Monster that should be shot down, he made sure they never returned.

No one knew where this power came from.

“You alright?” a voice beyond the door asked.

“Fine, Adam,” Derek replied. “Leave me alone.” He threw his head back into his pillow and hoped Adam would disappear from the door.

“Mother’s having one of those dinners tonight. You’ll want to find something nice,” Adam said. Then it was silent in the room.

Derek rolled over and looked at one of his walls. It was covered with several movie posters he’d collected over the years—mostly posters to classic movies, but a few others he deemed worthy—and then the bookshelf filled with movies on it.

Derek loved movies. He loved escaping to another time where he never had to deal with people. People didn’t understand him and when people didn’t understand you, you were basically fucked in this world.

Maybe that was why he wanted to join the military. Besides the fact that someone in his family went that route every year, it also meant a chance to move up and be recognized. He wouldn’t be “that guy” in the military. He and all the other people not cut out for college or life just yet would be there.

_I should really call Izzy_ , he thought.

He reached for his phone out of his pocket and began dialing. He pulled the phone up to his ear and waited.

Derek’s green eyes slid shut and he drifted into his pillow while the rings kept him awake enough.

“What do you want?” Izzy asked as she answered.

“Hello to you too,” Derek replied. After a moment, he said, “I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Really?” Izzy asked. Derek could hear that tone in her voice that just said she didn’t believe him. Derek rubbed his forehead in response.

“Yeah,” he said. “Look, I shouldn’t have jumped at you like that. It was stupid, and I was taught better.”

“Says the boy who has two older brothers, one who’s a perverse manwhore, and the other who is so profoundly jealous of you two that he would jump off a cliff if it meant he was in the spotlight for once,” Izzy said.

“But you love that brother.”

“I know…”

“There’s no coming back from this, is there?” Derek asked. He sat up in his bed and moved to the window. He looked out at the lit driveway that circled around a patch of land before connecting back together to lead to the gate.

“Maybe we’re supposed to be unhappy,” Izzy said, “but I would rather try with the person I want to be with than with a substitute.”

“Yeah,” Derek replied. “So, I’ll see you on Monday?”

“Guess so,” she said. “Tell Adam I said hey.”

“Will do… bye, Izzy.”

“Bye, Derek.”

Derek threw his phone back on his bed and walked into his closet. He picked out the first pair of slacks and dress shirt he could find before walking back out. He changed clothes and moved to the mirror in the corner of his room. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. His hands tried pushing the black mane from his face, but it plopped back in place. He shrugged and walked to the door after slipping on black dress shoes.

Derek made his way down to the dining room. Already Adam and Graham stood at their respective seats. Beside Graham stood the woman he’d found for the night and beside Adam stood Lillian glaring at Graham’s date. Derek stepped to his normal seat and looked around.

“Apparently merger deal with the company,” Graham said. “Mother’s got the china out for this one.”

Derek didn’t respond. He gripped the back of the seat in front of him and looked at the chinaware in front of him. Must have been a big deal.

“Graham, you didn’t tell us your date’s name,” Adam said. Derek looked back up. He could see Adam biting his lip to keep from grinning ear to ear. Lillian’s face looked as if she was about to pass out from how red it was turning. From anger, most likely.

“This is…” he looked to his date. She glanced back and waited.

They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

“It’s Sarah,” she said finally. “How could you forget that?”

“Let’s not have this conversation right now,” he said. He grinned at his brothers. “Dinner will be starting any moment.”

“Well, if you can’t even remember my name, then I’ll be taking my leave,” Sarah said. “Good day, Mister Desrosiers.” She grabbed her clutch, slung her curled blonde locks over her shoulder, and marched out of the dining room before Graham could even stop her.

“Well, that was more entertaining than the last time,” Adam said. “I liked her.”

“You just have to ruin things every time,” Graham replied. “Every. Time.”

“It is very entertaining to watch those girls react to you not even knowing their name.”

“And how does Lillian here respond to that type of behavior?” Graham asked. He winked at her. “Lillian, do you find your boyfriend’s behavior trivial? Immature? What word would you use?”

“No more immature than your own behavior,” she replied. She pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

Before Graham could respond, guests began walking to other seats and waited for their mother to take the seat at the head of the table. Many of the guests were balding, middle-aged men with extended bellies from drinking too much, but a few were petite, aging women.

“Please, be seated,” their mother said. She smiled down at the guests, but Derek could see the cold look combined with it. She didn’t care at all for these people, only what they could bring to the table.

They took their seat, and dinner began in the well-lit, chandelier-hung dining room.


	3. Chapter 2

It’d been a month since she’d left. Richard looked out the window to the gardens outside. The weather was letting up; flowers were blooming and animals were returning. He sipped his coffee and turned back to the laptop in front of him.

He didn’t know who he was anymore.

Was he Richard Plantagenet or was he Derek Desrosiers?

Richard scrolled through the page in front of him. So far he’d found nothing on what had happened, but he knew his brothers were in the same boat as him. At least Edward and George had found their way to him again. Edmund wasn’t here.

Richard remembered learning of Edmund’s death and all that it had sparked.

None of the brothers even mentioned Edmund’s name.

George had found Isabel—Richard didn’t see the need in mentioning how he and Isabel had dated before all of this—and Edward had found Elizabeth. Even though they’d all found their other part, something had changed.

Maybe it was the fact that they’d almost ended up with the wrong people, or maybe it was the fact that Anne had left as soon as she learned the truth.

“Morning,” Isabel said as she walked around the island. She opened a cabinet and grabbed a mug. She poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed the creamer and sugar before sitting next to Richard.

Richard sipped his coffee in response.

“How are you holding up?” Isabel asked. “Knowing…”

“You mean Anne leaving?” Richard asked. He kept his face as stoic as possible. Just knowing who he was seemed to make everything clearer and yet so much more difficult.

“That too.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk about it,” Richard said. He finished his coffee and set the mug in the sink. He turned to Isabel. “How’s George reacting to our past?”

“Oh, please, Richard, you know if I’d remembered you I never would have gone for you.”

Richard stared. “You seem to forget that in the beginning we used one another as a comfort for the ones we really wanted.”

She pursed her lips at Richard before she frowned into her coffee. “Still don’t understand why you let her go. After everything.”

“I used her last name as a means of ensuring alliances against Tudor. I attempted to set her aside as I used Elizabeth of York to get those allied with her to my side. I don’t blame her in the slightest for leaving.” Richard’s face stayed as unemotional as ever. He turned to the window and looked out, his green eyes blinking back tears. He knew how things ended. He’d seen his life end and knew all that he’d done wrong could never be fixed. He wanted so badly to never remember the truth.

“You were thrust upon the throne. You did what you had to do and those times are much different than now.” Isabel stepped around the island and moved to pull Richard into a hug. She stopped at the last moment. “Anne is your soul mate.”

“And I hurt her in ways I cannot undo.”

“Why do you think God gave us another chance? Surely it wasn’t to fix all that we’d done then and it surely wasn’t to change anything else. So why?” Isabel asked.

Richard turned to her after a minute of pondering. He sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe to finally put ourselves at rest?”

“If any souls need putting to rest, it’s those wives of Henry VIII. Just knowing what he did to those poor women makes me wish you’d won Bosworth,” Isabel said.

“I’m sure you also think that for what he did to your daughter,” Richard said. He regretted it as soon as tears welled up in Isabel’s eyes.

He clinched his hand into a fist. Even now he couldn’t say the right thing. Do the right thing.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He looked down at his shoes. “I shouldn’t have—”

“I can’t go back and save my daughter anymore than you can go back and change what happened with Anne or Elizabeth. But you can change the future,” Isabel said. “Why won’t you go after her?”

Richard walked back to his seat. “Because she told me she wanted something else. I couldn’t tell her no.”

“You could have fought for her,” Isabel said. “Like George did me.”

“I’m pretty sure it was the other way around.”

“Nevertheless, we fought for one another. We fought our feelings for as long as we could before we gave in. George and I are happy now. If you’d fight for Anne, you could be happy too,” Isabel said. “I know where she is.”

“No,” Richard said. “She wanted to go and I can’t stop her. Not after everything.”

“You’re letting her go,” Isabel said. She scoffed. “You’re such a coward.”

“You don’t even know the strength it took me to let her go, Izzy,” Richard said, completely forgetting that that had been her modern name.

“I know it took a lot out of her to see you just let her go,” Isabel said. “She thought you didn’t want her anymore.”

Richard narrowed his eyes. “How could she think that about me? After everything? Of course I still love her! I loved her since we were kids back then!”

“Then fight for her!” Isabel leaned forward. “Go after her and fight for her. You are her rock as much as she is yours. You need each other.”

She leaned back.

“And it’s not Izzy,” Isabel said. “Not to you.”

Richard looked away as the others filed in. Elizabeth practically ignored him as she got a glass of milk along with Edward.

Guess they were still a little mad about how he’d called their children illegitimate and crowned himself king of England.

“Brother, glad to see you as happy as ever,” George said to Edward.

“Watch it, George, I know what you and Elizabeth did before you remembered,” Edward said. He turned to Elizabeth. As Richard turned to them, he could see all the anger Edward had towards George fade away as he smiled at Elizabeth.

Richard turned to look at a similar situation with Isabel and George.

Each couple was in their own universes, and Richard was the only one feeling like he was spiraling out of control. He stood and walked to the stairs. He took them two at a time, his mind running a mile a minute.

He could have that with Anne. They could be happy.

No, not after the hurt he put her through.

She was better off finding her own future. She deserved it after putting up with him.

But they were meant to be, right?

Richard’s thoughts continued fighting one another until he made it to his bedroom. He shut the door quietly and walked over to his bed. He took in the posters on the wall. One part of him loved movies and all the posters on the wall while the other didn’t even understand the appeal.

He shoved his face into his pillow and groaned loudly. He let his walls drop, and tears began falling into the pillows below him.

Anne was his rock, like Isabel had said, and nothing could change that. Not for him anyway.

Richard closed his eyes, and fell back into his other life. He relived the shooting pain in his right arm, Anne asking him what was happening to them, ignoring her for Elizabeth of York, disgusting rumors floating, losing his son and then his wife, the rumors that he’d poisoned Anne to marry Elizabeth, everything up until that that battle at Bosworth.

Everything changed long before the moment Lord Stanley shouted, “For Tudor!”

Now, here he was again, only now he knew all he’d done wrong. Maybe his chance at fixing all that went wrong started with Anne leaving. Maybe they were better off apart.


	4. Chapter 3

Anne couldn't find it in herself to visit England. Just knowing made her want to steer as far way as possible. She shoved her locks from her face as she flashed the fare inspector her ticket when he asked for it. After nodding, the man continued along.

Alone, Anne sighed in relief and leaned back to close her eyes. As soon as she did, she opened them again.

It was too difficult to sleep anymore. Anytime she shut her eyes, Anne saw her other life.

Anna told her to let him go. He'd hurt her after all before she died. Anne replied that she loved him no matter what.

She got off the train in Paris. She smiled to herself once she could see the Eiffel Tower. Things had changed so much in ways she hadn't realized until the revelation.

Anne walked down the streets until she made it to her hotel. She made it inside and to her room. Once situated, Anne opened her laptop and pressed the FaceTime icon. It opened up, and Anne scanned through the list.

Her icon hovered over Derek Desrosiers, but at the last second she pressed Izzy's name instead. It rang and when Izzy did answer, she squealed in delight.

"Where are you?" she asked once she calmed down.

"I made it to Paris," Anne replied. "Oh, Izzy, you can see the Eiffel Tower from my room." she picked up her laptop and moved to the wall-length window. She shoved the curtains out of the way and showed her the view.

"We haven't been to France in centuries," Anne said. She smiled to herself. "It's changed so much."

"Everything's changed," Isabel replied. She quieted. Anne returned to her room and plopped on the bed, her head reclining on her hand.

"Izzy? Is everything alright?" Anne asked. Her eyebrows bunched together.

She sighed. After a few moments she finally began to speak. "Anne, you've been gone for two months now. Richard is a mess. He hardly leaves his room anymore, and when he does, he just goes to eat and then goes right back. It's not healthy."

"What's that have to do with me?" Anne asked, but she knew the truth. She wanted to do the same. Only adventure kept calling her name.

She'd already visited Spain and Italy, walked through the Vatican, paid her respects, and so forth.

Anne blinked back tears from her bright blue eyes and smiled at Isabel. "Izzy?"

"Oh, Anne, you silly goose," Isabel said. She let tears cascade down her cheeks. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Izzy, you know what he did in the other life," Anne said. She shook her head. "I'm not sure if I'll be okay if I give him that control again."

"Things were really that bad?" Isabel asked. She leaned forward.

"Never as bad as with the Bad Queen's son," Anne said. She smiled reassuringly. "He just... pushed me aside when he realized Henry had more support than originally thought. If that wasn't enough, it was to court Elizabeth of York around. How do I know he won't do the same thing?"

"Because it's the twenty-first century and incest is illegal?" Isabel said. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Not funny," Anne said. Part of her wanted to mention how closely related they had been to their husbands in their previous lives, but she figured now wouldn’t be the best time.

"Guess not," Isabel said. She rubbed her hands together. After another prolonged silence, she finally asked, "Are you ever coming back?"

"What? Izzy, of course I am," Anne said. "I just need to do this for me."

"Are you sure it isn't because you want to avoid him?" Isabel asked.

Anne sighed. She rolled onto her back, her eyes gazing at the high ceiling in her room.

"Anne?"

"Izzy, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was avoiding him, but you have to know that I'm also doing this for me. I have to visit these places. We live in a world where our father doesn't dictate what we do anymore, Izzy. I can be whoever I want to be. I want to figure out who that is before I make any more rash decisions."

"But... " Isabel drifted off. She continued staring at Anne through the computer.

"No, Izzy, I'm doing this for me. I have to." Anne leaned up and smiled at Isabel. "I have to go. I've got a day planned to visit all the places I can before I plan for the next place. I'm thinking of visiting Calais next. I'll let you know when I get there." Anne started to shut the lid of her laptop. "Bye, Izzy, I love you."

"Love you too," Isabel said. Anne shut the lid to her laptop and fell back onto the bed, her eyes searching the ceiling once more.

Anne groaned loudly and pushed her hands onto her face. She rubbed circles on her forehead before letting her hands fall to her side.

Of course Isabel didn't understand. Isabel and Anne were different. Even back then they'd been different. But Isabel needed to understand that she needed this adventure. She needed this life before she finally made her decision. Richard understood it. Or, at least, he pretended to. Now was no time to just give up her wishes to return to him. Not until she was sure.

Anne eventually got back up. She ran through the shower and found a nice summer dress and flats to wear. She fixed her hair into a braid down the middle of her back. Anne grabbed her camera and put the strap over her head. She held onto it tightly as she left her room and made it to the streets below.

Anne walked down the street with no true direction to where she was going. She had grabbed a map from the front desk as she left, but even now she wasn't paying attention to it.

"Where to first?" Anne asked herself. She thought about different the tourist attractions--the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, for example--before finally deciding on getting coffee from the nearest cafe.

"Merci," Anne said as the barista handed her order to her. She took a seat outside and began sipping as she took in the different people. She took the cap from her lens off and started snapping intermittently. She'd place the cap to her lens back on when she'd take a drink of coffee and then pull it right back off to take more. She got a lot of shots of the different buildings and even more of the people.

Anne could spot the buildings that had been in Paris the last time she'd been here though it was harder than expected. Most of the buildings had been renovated and lost the parts that Anne remembered.

She looked down at her drink. Anne remembered visiting with the Bad Queen’s son all those years ago. Maybe coming to Paris wasn’t the best idea.

“Excusez-moi, madame, mais vous êtes très beau,” a voice said. Anne looked up to see a boy about her age—well, Anna’s age—with short hair messed up deliberately with bright blue eyes. He smiled brightly at her.

“Merci,” Anne said. She blushed and looked away. “Vous êtes aimable.”

“I am François,” the boy said with a thick French accent.

“Anne… I mean Anna,” Anne said. She shook her head. “Most of my friends call me Anne though.”

“Anna,” the boy said. “C’est magnifique!”

Anne laughed along with the boy.

“You know French?” the boy asked once they’d calmed down.

“Oui,” Anne said. She didn’t feel the need to tell him exactly how well she knew the language though. “I might be a little rusty though.”

“I understand,” François said. He grinned even more. “How long are you here for?”

“A couple of days and then I think I will head for Calais.”

“Calais? Why there?” François asked.

Anne looked down at her coffee, a soft smile falling from her lips. “I’m looking into some family history.”

“You have French ancestry?” François asked.

“Something like that,” Anne replied. She smiled again and finished her drink. “Thank you for the lovely compliments, but I really must be going. I have a long day planned.”

“De rien. Au revoir, Anna.” François waved as Anne walked away. She looked back once before she turned the corner and made her way closer to the Eiffel tower. She hoped she could get close enough to get a good picture.

Anne focused on getting closer to the Eiffel Tower. There would more than likely be a large crowd though. If she didn’t get a picture of the Eiffel Tower, then maybe she would get one of the Louvre.

Anne wanted so desperately to see the works inside even though she would have to wait forever.

She definitely did not think about the knots in her stomach or her clammy hands. Part of her wanted to go back and speak more with François, but the other part of her knew nothing would happen out of it.

As much as she hated to admit that.

No matter where she went or whom she met, Anne would forever be tied to the man who kept saving her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> French spoken in this chapter:  
> "Excusez-moi, madame, mais vous êtes très beau" -- Excuse me, Ma'am, but you are very beautiful.  
> "Merci, Vous êtes aimable" -- Thank you, you are kind.  
> "C’est magnifique" -- That's magnificent!  
> "Oui" -- Yes  
> "De rien. Au revoir, Anna" -- It was nothing/it's nothing. Good bye, Anna.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING:** There is mention of abuse in this chapter. It's not explicit, but it is mentioned. A forewarning is advised.

The full moon shined over the darkened streets. Derek looked down at his slacks and his tucked in shirt and pulled his shirt with frantic hands. He tugged his tie off and held it limply in his hand as he continued down the street.

Another party of his mother’s. When would she learn that he dreaded these things like the plague?

“No, get off me!” a distinctly female voice rose through the silent sky.

Derek gazed around. There were neither hardly any figures moving about nor the distinct sound of shoes tapping the pavement. He raised an eyebrow.

He continued walking.

“Stop it, now!”

Derek stopped. His shoe scuffed the pavement, little rocks kicking ahead of him. He peered around again. Nothing but the bleak nothingness of the night.

No, something was going on. He couldn’t be losing his mind.

Derek’s fingers tugged at his jacket’s sleeves. He pulled the sleeves over his hands as much as he could and waited.

A footstep.

“Damn it, Anna,” a male voice finally broke through. “Stupid bitch.”

It was coming from the Lancaster’s backyard. They were somewhat neighbors, and Derek despised them with every part of his being.

And not just because Jackson Lancaster was dating Anna.

Derek huffed. He dropped his hands from the confines of the sleeves and let the night’s air slice his hands with its cool touch. He walked to the Lancaster’s house and pulled his hand up to the door. His hand in a fist, he began to knock on the door.

A shrill scream broke his reverie.

Without thinking, Derek jumped from the front porch and ran around the bushes to the Lancaster’s backyard. As he came to a stop, his eyes widened.

The full moon shined bright over the two. Jackson stood above a cowering Anna, his fist raised. His hand moved in an arc and slammed into the side of her face with a loud crunch. Anna sobbed loudly, her hand grasping her cheek.

“See what I have to do when you don’t listen? You’re such a stupid whore,” Jackson said. He pushed her away from him.

Derek’s eyes widened. He watched Anna fall to the ground in a heap, her body cradling in on itself with loud sobs ripping through the air.

 “Stop it, please!”

“Let her go!” Derek raced towards them. As Jackson looked up, his fist loosened. Anna, wide-eyed, glanced up at Derek. Before Derek could kick Jackson’s face in, Anna gripped her hand into a tight fist and reached up, slamming it into Jackson’s cheek. He tumbled over to her side, groaning.

Anna scrambled to her feet, her entire body shivering as she stepped towards Derek.

“Are you alright?” Derek asked, turning towards her. He started to reach for her when she shoved him to the ground.

“Stay away from me!” She looked back at Jackson before running around the front of the house.

Derek lay on the ground, his eyes wide. What had just happened?

“Aw, looks like poor Derek isn’t the knight in shining armor this time,” Jackson said. He staggered to his feet, his hand gripping his cheek. Even from where Derek stood, he could see red spreading across his left cheek. He spat on the ground and glared at Derek, his eyes ringed with smeared eye makeup and his bowl cut hair in disarray.

“You really are an evil prick, aren’t you?” Derek stood as well. He narrowed his eyes. “Touch Anna again, and you’ll deal with me. Got it?”

Jackson scoffed. He glanced at Derek, an eyebrow raised. He spat again in Derek’s direction.

“Got it?” Derek asked, practically grinding down his teeth as he began to step towards him. “Because trust me, if I don’t get to you first, I have two brothers who will. Don’t go near Anna Newell again.”

“Whatever, pussy,” Jackson replied. He spat towards Derek and began walking to his backdoor. “Get off my property before I call the police.” He flung the screen door open with as much force as he could without ripping it off.

Derek stepped out the backyard and waited until Jackson had closed the screen door before he headed back to the street. Once he was off the Lancaster property, he looked down at his shaking his hands. No matter how much he tried to calm down, his hands continued shaking. With anticipation or shock, he wasn’t sure.

He blinked and looked back towards the Lancaster house before looking around. He didn’t remember seeing Anna’s car parked anywhere.

“Anna,” Derek whispered. He took off in a jog to the direction that Anna’s house was. He raced against the sharp wind until he could make out the faint shape of a person walking.

He slowed to a jog. “Anna! Anna!”

“Leave me the hell alone, Derek,” Anna said. She looked over her shoulder as he got closer.

 “What the hell was that?” Derek asked. He slowed to a pace with her.

“I didn’t need your help,” Anna replied. “I had it under control.”

“You don’t have to be ashamed. You can talk to me.”

“About what? How my boyfriend thought I wasn’t doing my civic duty and pleasing him so he thought it gave him the right to hit me into submission?” Anna stopped. “I’m not ashamed. I’m pissed off, Derek.”

“It’s not your fault,” Derek said. “You were the victim there.”

“Go home, Derek.”

“If you don’t talk to me, I’ll tell my brothers. You know how they feel about you and Izzy. If they heard what Jackson did to you, they’d kill him where he stood,” Derek said.

“Then why don’t you tell them?” Anna laughed, her head shaking. “Seems like the only one caring right now is you, and I’d much prefer if you just stayed away. I don’t need your help.”

Derek stopped. He watched with wide eyes as Anna turned to her house and walked up the steps to her front door. His thoughts whirled past him in quick succession.

His eyebrows bunched together.

He didn’t know how to handle this situation. He glanced back at his shaking hands before he looked up at the slamming door.

His shoulders fell. He walked in a daze back towards his home.

When he made it back home, he walked up all the stairs and almost to his room before he was cornered.

“Ri—Derek, what’s wrong?” Graham asked. Beside him stood Lillian, who looked torn between anger and curiosity.

“I—I don’t even know,” Derek said. He shook his head. Anna didn’t want anything to do with him it seemed, but then again, he had just gotten out of a relationship with her sister a couple of months earlier… He wanted so badly to go back and beat Jackson’s face in but he also knew that the amount of strings his mother could pull only went so far and knowing Jackson, his mother would pull more to make sure Derek saw the extent of his “crime.”

“Well, if you explained it, I’m sure we could help out,” Lillian offered with a slight smile.

“If I explained, you’d all be off to kill a boy and then be thrown in jail,” Derek said. He could have sworn he heard a scoff from Lillian, but he paid it no heed. He looked again at Lillian and Graham. His eyes glanced between the two, noticing just how close they were. “When did you two get together?”

“Oh, we’ve been seeing each other for a couple months now,” Graham said. He smiled softly at Lillian, his arm winding around her waist.

Derek nodded. He narrowed his eyes at the two. “I think I’m going to bed.”

“What’s going on? You never said,” Lillian said.

“Something with Anna,” Derek said, “It’s not really my place to say. I’ve already pissed her off enough in one night.” He nodded to the two and opened the door to his room. “Night.”

He closed the door before Graham or Lillian could slide a foot in between the door and stop him. Once alone, his thoughts returned. He clenched his eyes shut and stumbled to his bed with a loud groan into his pillow.

What was he supposed to do?

He guessed he could check on her tomorrow and see how she was, but who knew if she’d even want to see him. Chances were, she didn’t want to see him ever again.

His chest clinched at the thought. 


	6. Chapter 5

Derek found Anna the next day on her way to class. Her chin was close to her neck, her hair falling like a curtain around her. Her hands clutched the books to her chest as she maneuvered between the throng of people. Derek sped up and caught her elbow. Anna gasped and turned quickly. She swung her hand at him and he ducked back.

"What do you want?" she asked. Her lips settled to a firm line, and Derek desperately fought the instinct to kiss them.

"I wanted to apologize for any discomfort I caused you," Derek replied. He held up a hand in surrender. "And I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well I'm fine," Anna said. "Bye." She waved him off and headed for the brightly lit classroom filling with students. Derek saw her sit down somewhere in the middle of the room and shove herself down far into the seat.

He turned and knew the bell would ring soon. He took off in a fast walk down the hallway where his class is. He turned the corner and entered the room right as the bell rang, and everyone turned to look at him. He ignored them as he took the closest seat to the door. The teacher hadn’t made it back to class yet; therefore, he wasn’t tardy.

After Derek made it to his class, he thought back to Anna and realized she'd taken out the black from her hair and had toned down on the black make-up around her eyes. He wondered if it had anything to do with what happened last night and made a promise to find out once class ended.

The class period passed for Derek in a blur. He didn't learn a thing in class; he spent the entire time mulling over Anna and how he could get her to talk to him. She needed to talk to someone, and if she was so adamant on not talking to him, then maybe Derek could get her to speak to someone else. Anyone else.

The bell dinged loudly. Kids grabbed their books and swarmed the door. Derek moved with ease as he grabbed his own books and walked out to the hallway crowded with kids running to class or to the cafeteria. It was lunch for him, and he hoped he could meet up with Anna before she evaded him.

He reached his locker and threw his books in. He turned, kicking the locker shut as he walked towards the cafeteria. He made it partway down the hallway when he caught sight of a hunched over Anna walking briskly towards her locker.

"Anna," he said. He walked over. "What's wrong? Talk to me."

"Look, Derek, just leave me alone," Anna said. "This is hard enough without you looming over my shoulders."

"You got rid of the black hair."

"I also got rid of Jackson," Anna replied. She laughed to herself, her head shaking. "Or, well, he got rid of me."

"What?"

She glanced at him before she went back to putting her books in her locker. "Yeah. Said he didn't need to be on any shitlist if it meant dealing with Desrosiers. Thanks for that."

Derek's eyebrows bunched together. "You sound upset."

"I didn't need you to do anything for me. I would have dumped him on my own." Anna sighed. "How often do I need to tell you that I can handle myself until you get it?"

"Just talk to me," Derek replied. He stepped closer, his head lowering as he talked in a softer tone. "Please, Anna. You have to tell someone. He can't get away with that."

"So I can be blamed? You really think anyone would take my side over his?" Anna scoffed. "We live in a world where a girl's actions determine who is at fault for any crime against her. I'd be crucified if I told anyone."

Derek wanted to pull her close and hold her tightly. He wanted to convince her that she was in safe hands and he'd be there for her forever if she wanted. Instead he nodded.

"Then at least speak to someone." At Anna's glare, he raised his hands up in surrender. "It doesn't have to be me, but you need to speak to someone."

"If I talk to you, will you leave me alone?" Anna asked.

"That's kind of contradictory," Derek said, "but I won't bug you as much." He offered a small smile.

"That's reassuring." Anna pulled a paper from a notebook and took a blue pen. She scribbled something on it. "Meet me here after school. We'll talk and then you'll leave me alone."

With that, she closed her locker and strolled to the cafeteria. Derek followed slowly behind her, his eyes glued to the sheet of paper.

What the hell was a Sally's anyway?

 

After school, he found out it was a store for hair products and stuff. Disgruntled, Derek made his way through the aisles until he found Anna looking at different packets.

"You're not dying your hair again, are you?" He asked. He glanced at the different hair care products on the shelves, an eyebrow raised. Who needed this many choices when it came to hair anyway?

"And damage my hair more? No. This is Malibu treatment. It basically strips hair dye from your hair."

"Your hair looks fine," Derek replied.

"It's still too dark. I want my hair back to normal," Anna said. She finally looked over at Derek. "You know, I'm sure you could find some stuff for your hair too." She grinned at Derek's confused look. "I'm kidding."

"Right," Derek said. He followed Anna as she paid for the packet and out of the store. They walked to a nearby bench and sat down in silence. Derek watched the different people walking by and the different cars that passed them.

Finally, Anna said, "I guess I could thank you for caring."

"It's no problem," Derek replied. "No one deserves to be treated like that." He bit his lip and looked away from Anna, hoping he didn’t slip up and say anything to other feelings. She didn’t need that right now. He glanced back when she started talking again.

"But you have got to stop trying to play the whole knight thing. It's not working, and it's a little creepy since you dated my sister," Anna continued. She looked at him, an eyebrow raised.

"To be honest, your sister and I were dating one another for the wrong reasons," Derek said, "and we stopped dating months ago."

"I know. It still makes things awkward." She shifted to the end of the bench, her arms wrapping around herself.

Derek bit his lip. He sighed and finally said, "I've liked you for a while, Anna. I just... never could say it."

"And the truth shall set you free," Anna said. She looked up at the sky with a smile. "I know, Derek. Izzy is my sister. We talk."

Derek couldn't fight the blush on his cheeks. "I'm not good at emotions sometimes."

"I know," Anna said. She stood. "This has been fun, but I have to go babysit some brats for my aunt. I'll text you later."

Before Derek could utter a response, Anna had walked off to her car and started it. Derek watched her drive off, his mouth hanging open. He eventually got up and found his way to his car. When he got home, he had a text saying, "Good talk. Tomorrow, sit together for lunch?"

 

The next day, the two sat together under an oak tree for lunch. Derek picked at the school lunch while Anna ate her packed lunch in silence.

After Derek finished, he sat his tray to the side and leaned back on the tree, his hands going behind his head. He could swear he saw Anna glancing over at him for a moment, but it passed so quickly that he chalked it up to his overactive imagination.

“Wanna skip out for the rest of the day?” Anna asked.

Derek shook his head. “I’ve got a test in Calc today.”

“Sucks to be you,” Anna said. She wiped her lips with a napkin before throwing it inside the brown paper bag. She crumpled the bag and threw it on Derek’s plate. She scooted to face Derek. She took in Derek’s appearance for a moment before asking, “Why did you date my sister when you wanted me the whole time?”

“She was there,” Derek said after thinking for a minute. He shrugged. “She was available and I was available. And I was never good at actually using emotions. You know what it took to tell you.”

“Even so,” Anna said, “you should still have told me. I shouldn’t have heard it from my sister of all people.”

“Hey, she used me just as much as I used her,” Derek said. He leaned up. “I mean, she never wanted me. She wanted my brother.”

“Okay, let’s change this conversation,” Anna replied. She looked at her hands. “What’d you say to Jackson?”

“I said that if he went near you again that I’d tell my brothers and they’d kill him,” Derek said.

“Figures,” Anna said. She looked up at Derek. The two started laughing loudly, causing the other kids to stare at them with irritation and confusion.

When they settled down, Anna narrowed her eyes at Derek. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Being nice to me,” Anna said. She started picking at grass and throwing it around.

“Because I’m worried about you. I wanted to make sure you were safe,” Derek said.

“And you don’t want anything else?” Anna asked. She raised an eyebrow.

Derek bit his lip. “It wouldn’t be right of me to say I don’t want anything when I already admitted I’ve liked you for a while… But, it’s not the right time nor place. You just got out of a bad relationship and I’m just… offering a shoulder for you if you need one.”

“You’re an odd person, Derek Desrosiers,” Anna said. She stood up and knocked grass off her butt. “Come on. Lunch will end soon.”

They headed back inside, neither knowing where the future would lead.


	7. Chapter 6

Anne’s breath caught at the sight before her. She stood in a flowing, white summer dress with flats on at the end of a dock, her arms at her side. She looked at the water that reached across to England—the closest she’d gotten yet—and remembered vividly.

Isabel was pregnant. It was 1470, and they’d begun to sail for Calais in hopes of finding an army against Edward. Their father wouldn’t listen to Isabel when she’d said she was afraid.

During the trip, she went into labor and lost the baby.

Anne gripped her stomach, a loud gasp overcoming her as she snapped back to the present. She wiped her face frantically and looked around. No one seemed to notice.

Her heart thudded in a frantic attempt to escape, or at least that’s what it felt like. She turned away from the water, her eyes wide as she looked over at the beach. There were tons of families along the beach relaxing, in the water, and the like.

The sun beat down on the people. Anne looked up at the sky, her eyes blinking back more tears. She wiped them away and began walking back towards land.

So focused on anything but the water and the memories, Anne didn’t notice until too late. She stepped against someone and stumbled back immediately. She looked down, her eyes coming to a child of about seven or eight. His chubby face had a few freckles over his nose and he had dirty blonde hair. His wide, blue eyes looked up at her in awe.      

Gasping, Anne’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry,” Anne said. She crouched down. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

In a distinctive English accent, the boy nodded. “It’s alright, Miss. You didn’t hurt me.” He puffed up his chest. “I’m invincible.”

Anne smiled. “I’m sure you are.” She ruffled his hair and looked around. “Now, where are your parents?”

“Father went there, I think,” the boy pointed over to a bar on the beach. “Mum went in the water a while ago.”

“So you came here, to the pier?” Anne asked. “What would your parents say to you leaving like that?”

The boy shook his head, a loud ‘nuh-uh’ leaving his lips. “Father told me to stay on the pier. He said he would come back to me whenever he was done. I’m a good boy, see?”

“Well, what’s your name?” Anne asked. “I’m sure we can go find someone who’s looking for you.”

“I’m Jack,” the boy said. He offered a hand.

“I’m Anna,” Anne said. She bit her lip and hated that she almost let the name Anne slip past her lips. “It’s lovely to meet you, Jack.” She took his tiny hand into her own and shook, a large smile on her face.

She stood back up and held out her hand as the other went to wipe sweat from the back of her neck. “Let’s go find your family.”

The two walked to where Jack had said their stuff was on the beach but neither his father nor his mother were anywhere. Anne sighed. She looked at the lawn chairs and saw no evidence of anyone being here for quite some time.

“Did you see which place your dad ventured to?” Anne asked as she tried to kick sand from her shoes. She knew she should’ve taken them off before stepping in the sand.

Jack shook his head. “But I know Mum is in the water. She’ll be back soon!”

Anne crouched again and looked at Jack for a minute. As she stood, she heard frantic yells from a few yards away. She glanced to see a woman running towards them as fast as she could, her bathing suit and hair wet from the sea.

“Jack! Jack, there you are!” she ran up to Anne and Jack, her arms flinging around Jack. She picked Jack up and held him close, water droplets getting on his clothes. “Where were you? I looked all over but I couldn’t find you. And where’s your father? He’s supposed to be looking after you.”

“I found Jack all by himself over at the pier. I accidentally ran into him and when he told me his father had run off, I figured I’d at least help,” Anne said. The mother glanced at her with the same blue eyes that Jack had.

Jack’s mother cursed under her breath. “He ran off again?” At Jack’s nod, she sighed and pulled him close.

At Anne’s confused look, the mother sighed. “Jack’s father has a drinking problem and no matter how good he does, he keeps going back eventually. Jack doesn’t really understand it yet though.”

Anne nodded. She knew offering her two cents on that would not help anything. “Well, Jack is a lovely kid. He’s really a sweetheart.” She smiled and reached up, her fingers running through Jack’s hair.

“I never caught your name,” Anne said. She looked at Jack’s mother. “I’m Anna, by the way.”

“Emma,” Jack’s mother replied. She smiled. “Well, you must have been special. Jack is usually shy around adults.”

Anne smiled. “Really? I never would’ve guessed.”

Emma nodded. “Do you have kids of your own?”

Anne stopped and stared for a moment. She remembered her little Edward, but that was centuries ago. Her smile started to fall before she pulled it back. “No. I’m far too young to even think about children.”

Emma nodded. “Well, whenever you do, I’m sure you’ll be a fantastic mother.” She shifted Jack slightly and turned around. “Thanks again for keeping him company.”

“No problem,” Anne said. She waved as they walked away. Jack watched her the entire time, a huge smile on his face as he waved. Once they vanished from her eyesight, Anne let her smile fall. Her hand settled once more on her stomach.

Poor Edward. Her little boy had been about Jack’s age when he’d caught tuberculosis. He’d been so sick. Anne blinked back tears as she saw that day when he died so clearly. Richard had held him so tightly and cried.

Her only son, dead.

Richard had become so distant by that point, but something about that day made her wonder if things would go back together. She remembered thinking that maybe things would change again. Maybe they would come back together like before. Richard had been her rock for all those years before he started to pull away. And then the funeral happened and things just seemed to spiral even more out of control.

Anne refused to think of all that happened after Edward’s death. It hurt too much to even remember his funeral.

Anne wiped more tears away and headed away from the beach. The breeze caught her brunette hair, pushing it off her burnt shoulders in a constant wave. Her nose twitched from the smell of the water. She walked with conviction.

She knew what she had to do after all.

Anne breathed deeply, her eyes moving around as she found a taxi to take her to her hotel. She had a few more places to visit in Calais, but after that, there was only one place she knew she had to go.

It was only right for her to pay homage to where her Richard fell, after all.


	8. Chapter 7

“Why did I agree to this?” Anna asked. Her hands moved up and down her arms as she looked out at the cool, dark sky. “I’m freezing my ass off!”

Derek laughed and grabbed a blanket from his car. He threw it over her shoulders.

She smiled and pulled it close to her. They were on break, and Derek had come back from college. It seemed like so much time had passed since they’d started talking and then this.

“I can’t believe I let you lure me to a quiet place, Derek Desrosiers. If you murder me, I will come back and haunt you,” Anna said. Derek laughed loudly as he grabbed another blanket from the car. He walked over to a clearing and set it out on the ground. He waved for her to come over.

“I would never dream of doing that,” Derek said. He relaxed against the blanket, his head almost touching the grass below. He looked up at the stars. Anna followed his lead and curled close to him. She draped her blanket over him as she took in the stars.

“They’re beautiful,” Anna whispered. She smiled softly as she tried connecting the different stars in her mind.

“There’s the Big Dipper,” Derek said. He pointed to the sky. “See, just past the tree line.” Anna followed and watched as his finger traced along the shape. She reached up and grabbed his hand, her fingers intertwining with his. She looked over at him.

“You’re such a dork for an army brat,” Anna whispered.

“You’re dating said army brat,” Derek replied. He leaned close. “Is this okay?”

Anna let her eyes slide shut, her face pushing the last distance to meet his lips. Their lips met with a slow burning intensity that matched their past together. Derek drew a hand to her cheek, his fingers spread about as their lips moved against one another.

Anna let a small moan leave her lips. She could smell his aftershave as she pulled him closer, her hands running through his curly locks. She moved to straddle him, the blanket falling from her shoulders as she did so.

When the two pulled back, Derek looked at her with wide eyes.

“Is this okay?” Derek asked. He rested hands on her hips. “I don’t want to move too fast.”

“Derek, it’s fine,” Anna said. She looked down at his chest, her finger drawing random shapes as she thought. She blushed as she realized a few things.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked. A hand reached up to her cheek again. His thumb moved softly back and forth. “Anna?”

“I really care for you,” Anna said. She smiled at him. “I don’t want to mess things up.”

“If anyone could mess things up, it’d be me,” Derek replied. His eyes moved back and forth, searching for something. Anna raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure about that?” Anna asked.

“Positive,” Derek replied. He pulled her close, her head resting under his chin. He ran a hand through her hair as he gazed up at the stars. “I sometimes wonder how I got so lucky, Anna Newell.”

“Well, you did always tell me you had feelings for me for a while,” Anna replied. She cuddled closer to Derek as a gust of wind blew past. She shivered, her breaths looking like smoke as she breathed out. Derek grabbed the blanket and pulled it back up around her.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Derek asked.

“Maybe you just finally wore down my walls,” Anna said. “Not that that’s a bad thing.”

“I would hope not,” Derek replied. The two laughed before settling into silence.

Anna’s eyes drifted shut as her hands settled on Derek’s arms. She could feel the muscles in his biceps and the muscles she was lying against. She breathed in his cologne and sighed. She’d gotten used to the cool breeze, and it helped that he was keeping her warm.

“So, is this the worst date ever?” Derek asked. Anna could just hear his smirk.

“Well, it’s not the worst,” Anna replied. She grinned.

“Good,” Derek said. “I did something right.”

“Well, it helps that you’re cute,” Anna replied. She leaned up and grinned at Derek.

“Really? Most think I’m an awkward, funny-looking guy,” Derek replied. “At least that’s what Izzy said all the time.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter what she thinks, now does it?” Anna smiled and leaned down until she was a breath away from his lips. “What matters is what you think about yourself.”

“Well, aren’t you just a motivational speaker,” Derek said. He grinned and Anna leaned down, their lips meeting once more.

Anna knew there was nowhere else she wanted to be. Derek Desrosiers was the only person in her life that she knew she wanted there for as long as possible. She didn’t know why, but something about him just made her want to be with him all the time.

As Derek moved her onto her back and started kissing down her neck, she knew she was being led down a path she couldn’t get away from. This was her destiny… or something.

Anna’s eyes looked at the sky, sighs leaving her lips as Derek continued.

Her hands gripped his tightly as they continued together. The night passed in a series of movements, sighs escaping, loud moans, fingers scraping skin, and bodies moving together in ecstasy.

After it all, Anne leaned towards Derek once more, her lips ghosting against his. She nipped at his top lip, laughter bubbling beneath the surface.

Derek smiled widely, his fingers toying with hers as their lips moved in sync. His other hand moved to cover them with the blanket once more, their naked bodies shivering against the cold.

“Well, that was unexpected,” Derek whispered once they pulled back for air.

Anna laughed before sobering. Her head rested against his forehead, their eyes looking directly at one another.

“Don’t ever leave me,” Anna said in a barely-there voice after minutes of silence.

“I will be right here until you no longer want me,” Derek replied.

Anna’s heart thudded against her chest. There was no saving her now.


	9. Chapter 9

Richard sat on their back porch, his shoulders hunched over as he watched his brothers and their loved ones interacting. He looked away at the last moment, his eyes turning to the lovely flower garden that surrounded the porch.

His phone vibrated against his leg—he almost jumped several feet in the air. Even after this time, he wasn’t used to this even if his other half was. He grabbed the phone and looked at the screen.

An eyebrow raised, he slid the button to answer the phone. He stood and walked back into the kitchen, the screen door slamming as he asked, “Anne?”

“Hey,” Anne said. Richard could just imagine her biting her lip as she second-guessed herself on calling him.

“How are you?” Richard asked. He leaned against the island in the kitchen.

“I’ve been better.” Silence. “I visited Bosworth today. I saw the flag and broke down crying almost. The other tourists thought I was just some hardcore history fan.” Anne laughed. “Wouldn’t they be surprised to learn the truth?”

“It’s in the past,” Richard replied. He nevertheless gripped the side of the island tightly at the mention of Bosworth and Leicester. Even though he was technically someone else now, the mention of his loss hurt.

“It’s not that easy to let it go though,” Anne said. Richard could just hear her fighting tears now. Her breaths shook as she continued saying, “It hurts that you chose her over me, Richard. It hurts that after everything, I was tossed aside and forgotten.”

“I never forgot you,” Richard said. He breathed in deeply, his eyes clinching shut as he gripped the phone tightly. “Anne, I made mistakes… I know I should have done things differently and treated you better, but you have to know that I never once forgot you. It killed me to see you die and it killed me when I thought you died from a broken heart.”

Richard blinked away tears. He shook his head. “I can’t go back and fix those wrongs, Anne, I can only hope I can change things for the future.”

He peered out the window. He could see Izzy staring from the yard and shook his head. She knew something was going on, and she would figure out eventually.

Richard walked over to a chair and sat down. He looked down at his lap. “Why did you call me?”

Anne sighed. Richard heard a squeak in the background. “I don’t know. This entire time I’ve been on this trip I’ve fought going to England because I knew it’d hurt. Going to Leicester today and taking that tour just… I hate thinking of that day and I wasn’t even there.”

“Then why did you go?” Richard asked.

“Because as hard as I try to fight my feelings for you, I keep wanting to come back to you. Ever since I left, I wanted to see you again and be like Izzy and throw all my hurt feelings to the side. Maybe I’m not as strong as I thought.”

“You are the strongest person I know, Anne,” Richard said. “You always were. You are your father’s daughter through and through.”

“I remember when you told me that before,” Anne said. “I’d told you how I chose to stay with Marguerite d’Anjou, and then you said that. You always seemed to have a knack for saying things to me right when I needed to hear them.”

Richard rubbed his forehead. He wanted to demand she come home. He wanted to tell her that he needed her and never should have let her go. He knew, though, that he’d hurt her badly. He’d broken her heart in hopes of securing his throne. He also knew that if he told her what he wanted, she’d laugh at him and never return. Her feelings matter in this, and if she wanted to keep away, then she had a right to.

Richard said, “Not always. I could have done better.”

“Now who’s living in the past?” Anne asked. Richard smiled. He could just hear her sarcastic tone of voice.

“Are you going anywhere else?” Richard asked. He cursed to himself; he’d almost asked if she was coming home.

“I’m not sure,” Anne replied. “It hurt so much to visit Leicester and I wasn’t even alive when you fought there. I’m not sure I’d survive seeing the ruins of our homes.” She shuddered out more breaths. “I cried when looking at pictures.”

Richard imagined Anne sitting next to him. He would wrap his arms around her and keep her safe from all the things that hurt.

“To be honest, I’m afraid to look up pictures,” Richard replied. “I’d probably go insane thinking about how people could let those places go.”

“It’s been over five hundred years,” Anne said, “and the world went through a lot of changes.”

“I know,” Richard replied. He looked back at the backyard and looked at his family. He remembered when Edward ordered George’s death and he remembered how crushed Anne was after Isabel died. He remembered reaching Edward in time to hear final rights and he remembered when he lost Edward and Elizabeth’s children.

His hand clutched the phone tightly.

Even today he was being blamed for them; he didn’t know what had happened to them, only that they had found some bones that could have been two kids in the Tower. If there was one thing besides all that he’d done wrong with Anne that he wished he could change, it was what happened to little Edward and Richard.

Elizabeth still glared at him whenever she thought he wasn’t looking. His heart would always leap in sadness when he caught her glare. Edward even changed once he was brought up to speed.

“Richard?” Anne asked. “Are you alright?”

“I will be,” Richard replied. “At least I hope so. Look, I know I can’t say this enough, but I am sorry. I should have treated my wife better. I should have loved you more than I did, I should have…” he drifted off, sighing loudly. “There’s a lot of things I need to apologize for, but if I’m going to change anything then I need to start with myself. I don’t want to get off here, but there’s something I need to do. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Richard?” Anne asked. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll let you know,” Richard replied. He smiled. “I’ll always love you.”

“Richard, please don’t go,” Anne said.

Richard smiled. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Anne asked. “You aren’t going to do anything extreme, are you?”

“Depends on what you mean by extreme,” Richard replied. “But I have to go. Izzy will come looking for me any moment.”

“Alright,” Anne replied, “but if I read news about you being killed, then I will make sure you get resurrected again so I can personally kick your ass.”

“You and Anna really blended well together,” Richard replied. “I hope they don’t kill me, but I can’t promise anything with my family. I love you, Anne Neville.” He clicked the phone off and turned to walk up the stairs to his room. He needed to plan, and getting interrupted by Isabel was not going to help anything.

Anne had gone out and found herself. Richard had sat there and wallowed in self-pity.

If he was going to change anything about the future, then he needed to take action. He needed to change the future himself.


	10. Chapter 9

Richard’s heart thudded erratically against his chest. He stared at himself in the mirror while he tried to even out his breathing. His clenched hands stayed at his side, slowly shifting back and forth.

He couldn’t be nervous.

He was Richard III. He’d ruled England and had noble blood in him. Talking to his family should be just as easy.

Maybe it was the part of him that was still Derek Desrosiers. A boy whose entire life shifted once the truth came out.

Richard sighed. He moved his shoulders up and down, everything suddenly feeling incredibly out of place.

He tilted his head left and right. A loud pop echoed through the empty room.

“You can do this,” Richard said to himself. He breathed in once more, his eyes sliding shut. He’d spent the last few days since he’d spoken with Anne trying to figure out how to do this. Last night he’d finally texted his family and told them to meet him in the living room the next evening.

They probably thought he was going crazy.

Or that he’d always been crazy.

Richard opened his eyes. He nodded.

It was time.

The sky outside was darkening; the sun was setting and his family was arriving or had already arrived. Richard wasn’t sure.

He took his time walking down the stairs, his mind swirling as he thought over what he would say.

“I can do this,” he whispered to himself. He could do this.

He had to.

Richard’s feet touched the ground floor and he stopped. He looked all around and took in his home. He remembered what Anne had said about not being able to visit their old homes and wondered if he ever could. He’d told Anne he couldn’t, but maybe that could change.

Maybe it would do him good to see his old homes.

Richard mentally made a note of it and took off to the living room. He walked in to see Isabel and George on one couch and Elizabeth and Edward on the other. He could feel Elizabeth’s glare and pushed it aside. He would address that soon enough.

“Brother, so nice to keep us waiting,” Edward said. He grinned at Richard. “What are we here for?”

Richard took his place in the center of the room. The chandelier hung straight above him. He could feel the heat on the back of his neck. He wiped it quickly.

“Well?” George asked. “We’re waiting.”

“I talked to Anne a couple of days ago and some things she said really put things into perspective,” Richard began. He coughed, clearing his throat. “Once we discovered who we were, Anne did what she had to do. She wanted to discover herself before anything, and she did.”

Richard looked down at his hands, his shoulders slumping over. He straightened once he realized what he was doing. “I have been a fool in the last months since she’s been gone. I’ve spent every waking moment pining over my lost love and not trying to figure out who I was.”

“If you called us to let us know that you’re having an epiphany, you really shouldn’t have,” Elizabeth said.

“It does when my epiphany has to do with you,” Richard said. He looked at Elizabeth and watched her shift her gaze back to Edward.

Richard breathed in once more. He could do this. He might have gotten off to a rough start, but he could do this. He looked at George and Isabel. Isabel’s head leaned against his shoulder while George’s arms pulled her close. Even if they didn’t look at one another, Richard knew the two were very much in love with one another.

Richard looked at Edward and Elizabeth and saw the same thing.

“I did terrible things in my past life. Things that I can never take back,” Richard started.

“You murdered my sons,” Elizabeth replied. “You locked them in a tower and then killed them when you realized just how powerful they were.”

“I didn’t kill your sons, Elizabeth!” Richard groaned and rubbed his forehead. “Please, just let me talk.”

“Then who killed them? Margaret Beaufort?” Elizabeth scoffed.

“Well, she had more motive than I did,” Richard muttered. “Nevertheless…”

“We all made mistakes, Richard,” George said. “I tried to use the king of France to overthrow my brother and rule instead.”

“I wanted all of you dead at one point or another,” Elizabeth said. She looked at Edward and sighed.

“Anyways,” Richard said, “I made several mistakes. Most of which you all know or learned once you became aware. I hurt a lot of people that I didn’t think of. Instead of following my family, my honor, I threw it all away in a vain attempt to keep Henry Tudor from the throne of England. I even hurt Anne in ways that I don’t think I can ever make up for.” His right hand clenched at his side.

“But part of making amends with what I’ve done has to start with me. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I should be trying to make myself a better person. I should be helping others. I should focus on others instead of myself.”

“And you’re starting this by telling us? How thoughtful,” Elizabeth replied. When Richard, Edward, and George all gave her the same look, she sighed and threw her hands up. “Fine. I’m all ears.”

“Thank you,” Richard said. He nodded. “As I was saying. The moral as to why I called you all here was to say that I’m sorry for all I did in my previous life. Even then, I should have known better. I should have done better.”

Silence fell. All eyes were on him.

He took a step back, his hands wrapping around his back. “From this point on, I am vowing to think more about my decisions. I can’t think about only myself. I have to think about those close to me. It was too idealistic of me and too arrogant to think of myself. It was dishonorable of me.”

Richard glanced at Elizabeth. He knew she had a retort just waiting to be said.

He waited a long minute before realizing she wasn’t saying anything. She had to bite her lip to keep from uttering anything, but she stayed silent.

“I might not travel throughout Europe like Anne, but I will work on being better. Any help would be appreciated.”

Isabel was the first one to stand. She unwrapped herself from George’s side and walked over to Richard. Before he could utter anything, she pulled him into a tight hug.

Richard automatically wrapped his arms tightly around her. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. If there was one thing he was glad about, it was the way he and Isabel became closer friends through all of this. Out of everyone, she had been the one there for him; she listened as he complained about things, chastised him about Anne, and supported him when no one else in his family did.

She was a true friend.

“Thank you,” Richard murmured.

“You’re my brother-in-law,” Isabel said. She leaned back, an eyebrow raised. “And no matter what happens with Anne, you’re one of my best friends.” She grinned. “And I’d like to help you in your little quest thing.”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, so I couldn’t come up with a better name,” Isabel said. “Sue me.”

A little laugh escaped Richard’s lips. He eventually stepped back and smiled at Isabel one more time before turning to the others. George still watched him as if trying to decide whether he wanted to accept his word while Edward was already standing.

Edward walked forward, his arms outstretched. Richard met him halfway and pulled him into a tight hug like he’d done with Isabel.

“I’m so sorry for everything,” Richard said. He hugged Edward tighter, if that were possible. In a small voice, he continued, “I can’t ever take back what I did.”

“It’s alright,” Edward replied. “It is in the past.”

They hugged like that for a few minutes later until they slowly pulled back. Edward stared at Richard for a good minute before he smiled widely and slapped him on the shoulder. “Now, how are you going to win Anne back?”

Richard smiled. He laughed as Edward ruffled his hair and pulled him in, his knuckles grinding against his head. He groaned, his hands trying to slap Edward’s hands away.

“Huh?” Edward asked. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I don’t know!” Richard gasped for air as he fought his brother’s hold. He was caught between screaming and laughing his head off when Edward finally released him.

“Well, you should work on that,” Edward said. He grinned. “Now might be a good time to start on both your epiphany and winning your soul mate back.”

Richard’s eyebrows drew together. He searched Edward and noticed him looking over his shoulder. He turned and time slowed dramatically.

It was like a scene out of a movie.

Anne stood in the doorway, her bags at her feet. She’d tanned significantly from the last time he’d seen her and her hair had lightened, but here she was.

“Anne,” Richard whispered.

She smiled. “When you said you had to do something, I didn’t quite think you meant this.”

“Had to start somewhere,” Richard replied. He took a step towards her. “How long were you standing there?”

“Long enough,” Anne said.

“The part of me that loves movies is deeply groaning at this moment,” Richard replied. Anne raised an eyebrow. “Derek loved movies.”

“Right,” Anne replied. She stepped close to him. Richard feared looking at the other people in the room might make the moment disappear. His stomach was in knots; it kept clinching, unclenching, and fluttering all about.

“Can we go somewhere and talk?” Richard asked. He finally took a chance and saw his family peering in one way or another to listen to them. “I don’t think we need them hearing everything.”

Anne nodded. “Let me just get these bags out of the way.” She grabbed most of the bags and Richard grabbed the others. They walked to a guest room down the hall where they placed the bags on the bed.

“Want to talk on the back porch?” Richard asked.

“Sure,” Anne said. She followed him out to the back door. The two walked out and moved to sit in chairs next to one another. Richard turned his chair to look at Anne.

Richard’s heart was surprisingly calm against his chest. He rested against the back of the chair and stared at Anne for a long moment. He knew things would work themselves out in some way.

Whatever was meant to happen would happen.


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks all who made it this far! I hope you all enjoyed the story :)

Richard had moved into his dorm at college. He’d met his roommate and introduced himself as Derek Desrosiers as normal. He set about getting his room set up.

“So what’s your story?” his roommate asked.

“What do you mean?” Richard asked. He looked over at him.

“Well, you’re not a freshman,” his roommate replied.

“I should be a junior but I took a year off last year, so I’m only in my sophomore year,” Richard said as he sat down at the desk under his bunk bed. He dug his laptop out of his book bag and plopped it on his desk. “Do you mind? I have a Skype date.”

The door clicked shut as Richard clicked on the Skype app. He logged in and waited for Anne to call.

He thought about his roommate in the meantime. He couldn’t very well tell his roommate the true reason he took a year off. Telling someone that he discovered a part of him had actually lived over five hundred years ago probably wouldn’t go over well, and then having to describe how part of the reason he moved into a dorm was to challenge himself in his promise to be better would just make him sound like a madman.

And Richard was done being crazy.

His computer lit up with Anne’s profile picture. He clicked the button to answer her call and smiled as her face came into focus.

“Get moved in?” Anne asked.

“Yeah, it was surprisingly easy,” Richard said. “How’d it go over at yours?”

Anne sighed. “Isabel didn’t want to leave me. She kept going on about how we should be going to the same college and blah.”

“Well, I wouldn’t complain if we went to the same college,” Richard said. He grinned.

“I need this for myself though,” Anne said. She laughed. “My roommate probably thinks I’m crazy.”

“We are technically having a Skype date.”

“True,” Anne said, “but this could also just be friends talking to one another.”

Richard smiled. After their talk that night, they had decided to take things slow. They got to know one another for the next few months as Richard signed back up for college and Anne got accepted to a college a couple cities away. They were both still close to home and one another, but it was a little bit of a drive.

“Are you alone?” Richard asked.

Anne nodded.

“How’s it feel to be going to college?” he asked. He peered over his shoulders even though he knew he was alone.

“I honestly never thought I would get to,” Anne replied. Her face lit up. “Back then there weren’t that many universities, and I was brought up to marry and bear children… Now I get to choose what I do.”

“What are your classes?” Richard asked.

“Mostly history classes,” Anne replied. “There’s this medieval class that should be easy and a class on British literature.”

“I’m sure they will be great refreshers,” Richard said.

“What about you?” Anne asked.

“Just a few general classes along with training for the military,” Richard replied. He ruffled his hair.

“Make sure they don’t make you get a haircut. Tell them that the Kingmaker’s daughter loves your curly locks,” Anne said.

“I’m sure they’ll get a good laugh out of that,” Richard said. The two laughed before silence settled between them.

Richard had also stuck to thinking more of his family than himself. Even Elizabeth had started coming around slowly to him.

Things were changing, and Richard knew a part of it was this second chance they’d been given. Maybe that was what this second chance was for; maybe they were meant to mend things that had gotten so screwed up in the past.

He watched Anne through the screen as she leaned back in her chair. Even things with Anne were looking up.

“Hey, what are you doing this weekend?” Richard asked. Anne pulled back forward and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing yet, why?” she asked. The sun shifted through the blinds in her room and filled her webcam with a certain light.

Richard shifted in his seat. He looked out from under his desk area to the little walk space in their dorm room. His stomach tightened and his hands were extremely clammy.

“Richard?” Anne asked.

“Well,” Richard replied, “I know we’re not really seeing one another and it’s probably extremely out of line, but would you like to go see a movie with me this weekend?”

“Are you asking me on a date?” Anne asked, laughter barely escaping her lips. Her lips curled up as she waited for his response.

Richard shifted in his seat. He rubbed the back of his neck and bent his head, his eyes looking up at the screen of his laptop. A few minutes passed before he finally nodded slightly.

“I think so,” Richard said. “But you can decline if you wish. It is totally up to you. I know it’s really stupid to move like this when we’re taking things slow like we’ve been doing, but I just thought—”

“Richard!” Anne laughed. She quieted once he stopped blabbering. “Yes, I would like to go on a date with you.”

“Really?” he asked. His green eyes widened.

“Yes,” Anne said. “I’d actually been meaning to ask you as well. I’ve been thinking it’s time for us to try for the last few weeks.”

“Why did you only tell me now?” Richard asked.

Anne blushed and shrugged. She stammered, “I—I figured… Maybe I was… Okay, so I was kind scared too.”

“Really?” Richard asked.

“Well, I thought maybe you’d want to keep things where they were,” Anne replied. She shrugged her shoulders.

Richard nodded, his eyes looking anywhere but his computer screen.

He looked at the wood paneling around him. He looked up at the mattress above him and the ground before he finally met Anne’s eyes once more.

“So,” Anne said. She shifted more in her seat, “Saturday?”

Richard nodded. “I’ll drive over and pick you up.”

“It’s a date,” Anne said. She smiled. Richard smiled back.

They had a long way to go yet, but things would work themselves out.

 


End file.
